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More American women die of heart disease than American men. One reason for this statistic is that all too often heart disease in women is undetected, misdiagnosed or dismissed until it’s too late. Unlike men who feel crushing chest pain as a symptom of heart disease, female warning signs include only a slight tightness in the chest, pain in various parts of the body or even just fatigue or weakness. For women, recognizing these symptoms is the biggest hurdle.

Meet one woman who needed to be rushed into emergency bypass surgery after complaining of mere tiredness and indigestion. Now grateful to be alive, she volunteers with WomenHeart, a women’s advocacy group that promotes putting one’s own health above that of other’s. Doing so can lead to early detection, successful treatment and a prolonged life.

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